Today our passages are Leviticus 7:28–9:6; Mark 3:31–4:25; Psalm
37:12-29; and Proverbs 10:5. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.
Leviticus 7:28-9:6 (The Message)
28-34 God spoke to Moses: "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them, When you present a Peace-Offering to God, bring some of your Peace-Offering as a special sacrifice to God, a gift to God in your own hands. Bring the fat with the breast and then wave the breast before God as a Wave-Offering. The priest will burn the fat on the Altar; Aaron and his sons get the breast. Give the right thigh from your Peace-Offerings as a Contribution-Offering to the priest. Give a portion of the right thigh to the son of Aaron who offers the blood and fat of the Peace-Offering as his portion. From the Peace-Offerings of Israel, I'm giving the breast of the Wave-Offering and the thigh of the Contribution-Offering to Aaron the priest and his sons. This is their fixed compensation from the People of Israel."
35-36 From the day they are presented to serve as priests to God, Aaron and his sons can expect to receive these allotments from the gifts of God. This is what God commanded the People of Israel to give the priests from the day of their anointing. This is the fixed rule down through the generations.
37-38 These are the instructions for the Whole-Burnt-Offering, the Grain-Offering, the Absolution-Offering, the Compensation-Offering, the Ordination-Offering, and the Peace-Offering which God gave Moses at Mount Sinai on the day he commanded the People of Israel to present their offerings to God in the wilderness of Sinai.
Leviticus 8
The Ordination of Priests
1-4 God spoke to Moses: He said, "Take Aaron and with him his sons, the garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the Absolution-Offering, the two rams, and the basket of unraised bread. Gather the entire congregation at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting." Moses did just as God commanded him and the congregation gathered at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. 5 Moses addressed the congregation: "This is what God has commanded to be done."6-9 Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water. He put the tunic on Aaron and tied it around him with a sash. Then he put the robe on him and placed the Ephod on him. He fastened the Ephod with a woven belt, making it snug. He put the Breastpiece on him and put the Urim and Thummim in the pouch of the Breastpiece. He placed the turban on his head with the gold plate fixed to the front of it, the holy crown, just as God had commanded Moses.
10-12 Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed The Dwelling and everything that was in it, consecrating them. He sprinkled some of the oil on the Altar seven times, anointing the Altar and all its utensils, the Washbasin and its stand, consecrating them. He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head, anointing him and thus consecrating him.
13 Moses brought Aaron's sons forward and put tunics on them, belted them with sashes, and put caps on them, just as God had commanded Moses.
14-17 Moses brought out the bull for the Absolution-Offering. Aaron and his sons placed their hands on its head. Moses slaughtered the bull and purified the Altar by smearing the blood on each of the horns of the Altar with his finger. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar. He consecrated it so atonement could be made on it. Moses took all the fat on the entrails and the lobe of liver and the two kidneys with their fat and burned it all on the Altar. The bull with its hide and meat and guts he burned outside the camp, just as God had commanded Moses.
18-21 Moses presented the ram for the Whole-Burnt-Offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. Moses slaughtered it and splashed the blood against all sides of the Altar. He cut the ram up into pieces and then burned the head, the pieces, and the fat. He washed the entrails and the legs with water and then burned the whole ram on the Altar. It was a Whole-Burnt-Offering, a pleasing fragrance—a gift to God, just as God had commanded Moses.
22-29 Moses then presented the second ram, the ram for the Ordination-Offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the ram's head. Moses slaughtered it and smeared some of its blood on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. Then Aaron's sons were brought forward and Moses smeared some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Moses threw the remaining blood against each side of the Altar. He took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat that was on the entrails, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys with their fat, and the right thigh. From the basket of unraised bread that was in the presence of God he took one loaf of the unraised bread made with oil and one wafer. He placed these on the fat portions and the right thigh. He put all this in the hands of Aaron and his sons who waved them before God as a Wave-Offering. Then Moses took it all back from their hands and burned them on the Altar on top of the Whole-Burnt-Offering. These were the Ordination-Offerings, a pleasing fragrance to God, a gift to God. Then Moses took the breast and raised it up as a Wave-Offering before God; it was Moses' portion from the Ordination-Offering ram, just as God had commanded Moses.
30 Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the Altar and sprinkled Aaron and his garments, and his sons and their garments, consecrating Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments.
31-35 Moses spoke to Aaron and his sons: "Boil the meat at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and eat it there with the bread from the basket of ordination, just as I commanded, saying, 'Aaron and his sons are to eat it.' Burn up the leftovers from the meat and bread. Don't leave through the entrance of the Tent of Meeting for the seven days that will complete your ordination. Your ordination will last seven days. God commanded what has been done this day in order to make atonement for you. Stay at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days. Be sure to do what God requires, lest you die. This is what I have been commanded."
36 Aaron and his sons did everything that God had commanded by Moses.
Leviticus 9
The Priests Go to Work
1-2 On the eighth day, Moses called in Aaron and his sons and the leaders of Israel. He spoke to Aaron: "Take a bull-calf for your Absolution-Offering and a ram for your Whole-Burnt-Offering, both without defect, and offer them to God. 3-4 "Then tell the People of Israel, Take a male goat for an Absolution-Offering and a calf and a lamb, both yearlings without defect, for a Whole-Burnt-Offering and a bull and a ram for a Peace-Offering, to be sacrificed before God with a Grain-Offering mixed with oil, because God will appear to you today."5-6 They brought the things that Moses had ordered to the Tent of Meeting. The whole congregation came near and stood before God. Moses said, "This is what God commanded you to do so that the Shining Glory of God will appear to you."
Mark 3:31-4:25 (The Message)
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
31-32Just then his mother and brothers showed up. Standing
outside, they relayed a message that they wanted a word with him. He was
surrounded by the crowd when he was given the message, "Your mother and brothers
and sisters are outside looking for you."
33-35Jesus responded, "Who do you think are my mother and
brothers?" Looking around, taking in everyone seated around him, he said, "Right
here, right in front of you—my mother and my brothers. Obedience is thicker than
blood. The person who obeys God's will is my brother and sister and mother."
Mark 4
The Story of the Scattered Seed
1-2 He went back to teaching by the sea. A crowd built up
to such a great size that he had to get into an offshore boat, using the boat as
a pulpit as the people pushed to the water's edge. He taught by using stories,
many stories.
3-8"Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted
seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it.
Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when
the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came
up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good
earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest
dreams.
9"Are you listening to this? Really listening?"
10-12When they were off by themselves, those who were close
to him, along with the Twelve, asked about the stories. He told them, "You've
been given insight into God's kingdom—you know how it works. But to those who
can't see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness, nudging them
toward receptive insight. These are people—
Whose eyes are open but don't see a thing,
Whose ears are open but don't understand a word,
Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven."
Whose eyes are open but don't see a thing,
Whose ears are open but don't understand a word,
Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven."
13He
continued, "Do you see how this story works? All my stories work this way.
14-15"The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like the
seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the
Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.
16-17"And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel.
When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. But there is
such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some
difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.
18-19"The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who
hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they
have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they
heard, and nothing comes of it.
20"But the seed planted in the good earth represents those
who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest
dreams."
Giving, Not Getting
21-22Jesus went on: "Does anyone bring a lamp home and put
it under a washtub or beneath the bed? Don't you put it up on a table or on the
mantel? We're not keeping secrets, we're telling them; we're not hiding things,
we're bringing them out into the open.
23"Are you listening to this? Really listening?
24-25"Listen carefully to what I am saying—and be wary of
the shrewd advice that tells you how to get ahead in the world on your own.
Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess
impoverishes."
Psalm 37:12-29 (The Message)
12-13 Bad guys have it in for the good guys,
obsessed with doing them in.
But God isn't losing any sleep; to him
they're a joke with no punch line.
14-15 Bullies brandish their swords,
pull back on their bows with a flourish.
They're out to beat up on the harmless,
or mug that nice man out walking his dog.
A banana peel lands them flat on their faces—
slapstick figures in a moral circus.
16-17 Less is more and more is less.
One righteous will outclass fifty wicked,
For the wicked are moral weaklings
but the righteous are God-strong.
18-19 God keeps track of the decent folk;
what they do won't soon be forgotten.
In hard times, they'll hold their heads high;
when the shelves are bare, they'll be full.
20 God-despisers have had it;
God's enemies are finished—
Stripped bare like vineyards at harvest time,
vanished like smoke in thin air.
21-22 Wicked borrows and never returns;
Righteous gives and gives.
Generous gets it all in the end;
Stingy is cut off at the pass.
23-24 Stalwart walks in step with God;
his path blazed by God, he's happy.
If he stumbles, he's not down for long;
God has a grip on his hand.
25-26 I once was young, now I'm a graybeard—
not once have I seen an abandoned believer,
or his kids out roaming the streets.
Every day he's out giving and lending,
his children making him proud.
27-28 Turn your back on evil,
work for the good and don't quit.
God loves this kind of thing,
never turns away from his friends.
28-29 Live this way and you've got it made,
but bad eggs will be tossed out.
The good get planted on good land
and put down healthy roots.
Proverbs 10:5 (The Message)
5 Make hay while the sun shines—that's smart;
go fishing during harvest—that's stupid.
Verse of the
Day
“Dear friends, since God loved us this much,
we must love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other,
God lives in us, and his love is truly in our hearts.” - 1
John 4:11-12
Today's passage is from the Contemporary
English Version.
Thought
for the Day
American author, speaker and activist in the
fields of self-development, personal freedom and human rights, Bryant H. McGill wrote,
“You reclaim your power by loving what you were once taught to
hate.”
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